


Lawainee Goes Hawaiian

by Norias



Category: Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Genre: Gen, Groundhog Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24678544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Norias/pseuds/Norias
Summary: What went behind the screen in that famous episode "Gadget goes Havaiian"
Comments: 2





	Lawainee Goes Hawaiian

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Похождения Лавайни на Гавайях](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/632350) by Роман Булыгин. 



> Authors preface:  
> Following story is a quite plain crossover (not plagiat!). It doesn't contain any new revolutionary thoughts or ideas and almost fully is made by those literaturical cliques that the author managed to remember at the time of writing. Only one, and even then a questionable, good thing about this story is just the amount of the categories, it won't fit into. Such as there comes the recommendation to read it before sleep as a replacement for the eight-grade algebra textbook.
> 
> Translated from russian to english by Aivars Liepa 'Norias' at about before year 2004  
> Proofread and errors corrected by Karen ‘Kat’ Mollet

Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out of this world. Something from the real world. She opened her eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices. While her brain was slowly picking up speed, the roar slowly formed into chanted cry: "La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee!"

The light cloth over the entrance was pulled aside a bit, and into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The volcano gods are angry again..."

His head disappeared. Lawainee jumped up from her bed, went to the colourful mask leaned against the wall, and pushed it aside. It revealed small ventile. One look out of the window confirmed, that today the volcano had steam really high up. It threatened the village for every day since it had appeared, until she by accident discovered this ventil. She didn't know, why, but the volcano gods liked, when she turned it close for some time, and they calmed down.

" Save us, Lawainee!" came chanting from the outside, "Lawainee, help us!"

"Lawainee, calm down the angered volcano gods!" Huba-buba, the village shaman, had extremely low and strong voice.

Lawainee struggled with the hand of ventil. It was hot on touch and refused to turn. "O, great gods of volcanoes!" she cried. The handle refused to turn. Lawainee felt pain, when from under her nails appeared small dots of blood. "Please, hear us!" - her voice rose up to a scream; tears rolled from her eyes. Refusing to let go in spite of increasing hotness and pain in muscles, she continued to push. "I, Lawainee, beg you for compassion!" she called this on the last breath, but it looked, that this time she was heard out. The handle started to move. Slowly the gods calmed down, at least for this time.

"I did it! They listened to me," she felt down on the floor, out of energy. On the street the screams changed to "Praise the Lawainee!" cheers. She slowly gathered her strength to stand up and step outside. Hiding the burnt hands behind her back, she stood in the entrance and smiled. Shaman left the crowd and stood side to side with her.

"For a long time we have needed a queen to lead us! Lawainee is the only one who can calm angered volcano gods." he exclaimed. Lawainee blushed.

"If you insist, " she whispered.

To say the truth, she had suspected it long ago. She was accounted for the most beautiful girl of her generation, at the same time she didn't lack a sharp mind to go with the stunning looks. Not for first time, if the neighbours wanted to solve some agreement, they didn't bother shaman - the official ruler of tribe - but came to her for advice. Nobody was surprised by the news of who will be the candidate for the new queen. What she had not expected was the fact that it would happen now, this same day.

"Straight after the tests, yes?" Haba-baba smiled.

"Tests? What tests?" Lawainee's eyes widened. "I know nothing about tests."

"The tests necessary for the coronation. You know the survival test?"

"Survival test? Nobody told me... We never before had have a queen..." Lawainee said in shock, tried to remember at least something, but as in spite, nothing came to her mind.

"That's because nobody survived," Haba-baba smiled, and just for a moment, a strange glint appeared in his eyes. "For starters, you would have cross the terrible Crab Pool, then step over the coals of Horror, and then to deal with the Wave of Fate."

"I..." Lawainee for a moment stopped into uncertainty. "I will survive."

"The tests will start on sunset. If you survive past sunset, we will make you a queen..." The mad cheering broke shaman's speech.

"Queen Lawainee! Queen Lawainee! Queen Lawainee!

"Tomorrow we will have either a new queen or extra hut!" shaman pulled a final line under the account. The crowd started to slowly disperse for what they were doing. Lawainee returned to her own deeds...

Lawainee waited for the pipe to cool down, before turning the ventil back into first position. If that is not done, then next time the gods will make angry noises much closer to the village. Better to let them 'blow off some steam' and then calm down. She returned the mask to its place and looked at the nearby volcano. Where went her courage and the will to make it? The tests were serious and dangerous as well. Lawainee had been just a small girl the last time somebody had attempted to become queen, so she did not remember much of it.

Only a few moments from her childhood surfaced in her memory. The face of some woman kissing her on the forehead. Someone leading small Lawainee to something, but she was playful and wanted to go to the beach, and she was taken away. Endless sad crying...

"How could I make through these tests?" she didn't even notice how she had started to talk aloud. A bad habit, but she had done it since she had been a kid every time she was afraid or overemotional.

Through the doors stepped Shakea-baka. As usual, with him was his first and main love - the big surfboard. His second love was Lawainee, and in spite of her second role, she answered to his love.

"Your Royal Highness! To think that tomorrow I would become the royal lover!"

Lawainee turned toward him. "Shakea-baka, I won't become queen. I will fail the tests. I... I'm afraid.."

Shakea-baka leaned surfboard against the wall and then turned away the facemask. "Fool them! Girlie, you fooled entire tribe with this volcano switch! Would it be so hard to just play out this outland cross?"

For a moment, Lawainee froze into the shock, but she immediately regained her composure. Her hands pulled into fists: "What did you say, Shakea-baka?"

"Nothing... I said nothing," he stepped back. Her tone didn't predict anything good for him.

"I don't plan to cheat them! I hold this a secret only for the sake of someone like you not to starting to use it for himself!" The corners of her mouth started to shake treacherously, tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Sniffing, she pressed against the high chest of Shakea.

"I... I would... cheat no one..." she sniffed. "I'm … I'm so afraid... so afraid..."

Shakea-baka hold her tightly and slowly whispered soft and calming words into her ear until she calmed down...

Lawainee stepped out to the shore of the Crab Pool. In the distance could be heard the voices of tourists assembling to view the evening attraction. Dark rocks were still holding the warmth of midday sun, even that now only red setting sun was lighting them up. Water was dark, warm, still and glanced like mercury. Water at once pulled and threatened. Light wind was moving the bush leaves up over it. All she wanted as to sit down and just take a short rest, watching this beautiful sunset over the calm waters...

Lawainee looked around. Nobody was near; the idea of the deadly tests suddenly looked like something impossible, like a nightmare that would go away once she would wake up.

Suddenly the light went out. She found herself stuffed into bad-smelling old sock. "It started!" a thought shoot through her brain.

She was raised and carried somewhere. Short moment of weightlessness, then splash. Suddenly she was sinking into the water; dark and sticky water. It goes through the fur straight to the skin, gets into the mouth, nose, ears, eyes. "Don't pull in air! Hold your breath! First things you have to get out of this sock! Exit! Where's the exit! They won't... wont they?"

Already nearly out of breath, she tore, and ... darkness went away. she appeared in a wonderful castle of light. The pool... A really big aquarium, just masked for a pool, with this only glass wall was turned toward the restaurant. Light from the multiple electrical lamps pressed into it, reflected from the glass and from the top of water, filled the entire place. In the corners rose seaweed, glinting with air bubbles of their long silky leaves like a diamonds. Around her in an endless waltz shoot, flashed and disappeared thousands of the stars - small crabs, plankton, pieces of mud raided from the floor...

Lawainee saw nothing of this at all. Half-drowning, she tried to reach the top, to get some air into lungs that threatened to burst from the pain... Air... Faster...

Suddenly, terrible pain caught her leg. A powerful force stopped her ascent, twisted her around. More pain, as another force crushed her chest and started to pull her down... On reflex she tried to breath, but only water rushed in... Her mind exploded into rainbow patterns, and then darkness ended it all...

* * *

She sat at the edge of the Crab Pool and remembered the past. Her past. She had many times thought about what was happening to her, but for some reason, it was today, that she so painfully remembered the first days. The first... cycles, as she had started to call them. Possibly, because as she hoped, today would be the day, that this endless nightmare will come to an end. All the suffering started on that faraway day, when she was supposed to become queen. That far away Today. If nothing had intervened, she was destined to die on the first test, but... some power, guided by, as she thought now.

Pure evil mind was every time turning back the time - again; again and again, and she, again alive and well, had to relive this endless day again, again and again. This day had turned for her into endless eternity. Cycle after cycle (she had started to call so the days intervals of her life) she tried to find an exit from this trap. This time she felt, it had to work! After so much pain, so many deaths and revivals she at last accepted the fact, that she can't pass the tests by herself. Nevertheless, if her plan worked, nobody would notice the switch, and then the one who had put this curse on her, would be forced to take it off. The long ago planned, tested and retested operation was about to start.

Lawainee sat between rocks, waited and remembered...

* * *

Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out of this world. Something from the real world. She opened her eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices. However, there was something else that was lost without any chances of remembering, into the land of dreams. While her brain was slowly picking up speed, the roar slowly formed into chanted cry: "La - vai - nee! La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee!"

The light cloth over entrance was pulled aside a bit, and into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The volcano gods again got angry..."

Head disappeared. Lawainee jumped up from her bed, stretched, went and pushed aside the colourful mask leaned against the wall. It revealed small ventile. Mouse looked out of the window at the volcano and leaned against the handle.

"Save us, Lawainee!" came chanting from the outside, "Lawainee, help us!" "Lawainee, calm down the angered volcano gods!" Huba-buba joined the cheers

Lawainee struggled with the hot hand of ventil. "O, great gods of volcanoes!" she cried. The handle refused to turn. Lawainee felt pain, when from under her nails appeared small dots of blood. "Please, hear us!" - her voice stepped up to scream, from eyes started roll tears. Refusing to let go in spite of increasing hotness and pain in muscles, she continued to push...

For all day, she felt that strange feeling of deja'vu, that it all had already happened with her once. She even remembered some conversations, some happenings; she knew then so well, she could even tell what would came next. Was the strange dream from the morning returning to her? Moreover, there was that dark subconscious feeling of incoming doom that she could neither explain nor calm down; that rose by each passing hour...

Lawainee came to the Crab Pool. Evening light was dying over the rocks which warmed up during the day. Under them was the dark gleaming pool of water. She looked at the water like under a charm. It all had already happened once. She even knew what would happen next. Only it was already too late...

Someone whispered something, and then the dark materiel of old sock closed her eyes. Lawainee didn't struggle, just whispered to herself: "Calm down..." During the short moment she was carried, she tried to orient herself and to pull as much air into her lungs as possible.

Water. Again, this sticky water surrounded her. And darkness. "Don't breathe. Just get out of the sock." Well, she was ready this time, she found the exit even faster that she expected, and she didn't even feel the lack of air. She even had a few moments to look around and think. She needed to hurry, but still, before making the first sweep with her hands to raise her toward the surface, Lawainee looked down.

The shadow of her recent prison - old sock - was slowly descending, trying to blend with the dark bottom. Suddenly there was movement down below. Under the sock appeared big dark claw and stretched toward her. "A crab! No more waiting!" Her hands made a mighty sweep, as if trying to tear the water over her apart. Her legs pushed her up, moving into fast sweeps. Still she felt the other movements of water, made by awakened crab.

Another sweep, another... The surface was coming closer...

For a moment, the terrific claw was in front of her eyes. Then they closed. Like on a slow speed cinema, Lawainee saw the inner side of the claw, painted for whatever reason in pink colour, to cross over her chest. "Sad. This is it."

For a moment, her world was just an explosion of pain. Her ears still heard the crack of bones, her eyes still saw the air rushing out from the torn lungs and the water turning misty red with the blood... her blood... She didn't have time to understand it, though...

* * *

Lawainee shook and pushed the memories away. On the other side of pool had appeared another mouse, wearing yellow top and shorts. Gadget, her doppelganger, just a wild card passed to her by fate, and main piece into today's gambit. Gadget had pulled onto her legs strange waterboots with corks for soles and timidly stepped onto the water. When she was near the middle of pool, Lawainee rose from her hideout. It was time to start the work. It was close to the timeout, but the practice acquired into endless cycles and many repetitions before gave her confidence.

For starters, she had to get the co-operation of this fool of a girl. Lawainee climbed on a big rock and started to call: "A-u! A-u!.."

Gadget turned from her walk and went to her: "Am I trespassing? I mean, is it okay that I am here?"

"Sure, dear! I would say, you're in the right place. Besides, my name Lawainee." - at this step, Lawainee didn't diverge from the first scenario, by chance taken by intuition and pure puck to the best possible way. Only thing to be careful about was to avoid sounding too false. Well, at this stage, the girl still did not suspect anything anyway.

"My names Gadget. You know, you remind me of something..."

"What an interesting name - Gadget. Like these things on your feet?" - now Lawainee knew she was talking total nonsense, but, since it had worked before, it will work now as well.

"On my feet? A! Oh, I'm sinking!"

Lawainee counted eight breaths and with one hand hanging from the leaf, stretched her other toward Gadget, who had started to sink. The girl didn't even get a chance to get her legs wet, before she was pulled ashore. This small change from the standard, like all that would follow, were the results of old experiments and careful counting. Besides, it did save some time and allowed her to gain more confidence at the beginning.

"I think, you will have many things to cross this pool with, of course if you wish to do so, " Lawainee noticed to herself, that she had overdosed optimism into her voice. Well, it would have to pass.

"That's the problem! I can never decide what exactly to do!"

The dialogue, masterfully guided by Lawainee, continued to unfold. Lawainee introduced Gadget with her plan, mentally counting the breaths.

"Your friends are my friends."

Four. Lawainee pushed Gadget into exact spot she needed to stand.

"Sure dear?"

Three.

"I will take care of your friends, while you will be taken care of by mine."

Two. Small sound from above. They had arrived.

"Don't worry!"

One.

Small change in the scenario. Why say stupid excuses? Just as she had said last phrase, Lawainee jumped around the rock.

Zero.

There was a sound of a short struggle and a muffled scream. At last, the voice of Huba-buba declared: "Let's start the tests!" Excellent, the muscular warriors of her tribe were carrying Gadget toward the end of the pool. The warriors of her future army. She had to hurry again.

Splash of water Lawainee didn't hear.

* * *

Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out of this world. Something from the real world. She opened her eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices. Only there was something else, and it wasn't a dream.

Lawainee rose on an elbow, forgetting the sleep, then stood up. She tossed down the dress and went to the piece of mirror to look at herself. The screams of help on the outside didn't worry her the least bit. Even that, this time, she remembered all that had happened before, she didn't find any damage on her body. All was as always - no scars, no wounds, no nothing.

"Aha, right now the cloth will be pulled aside and Shakea-baka will appear," she thought and grinned by herself.

The light cloth over entrance was pulled aside a bit, and into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The volcano gods... Ops! sorry..." His face turned a bit red and withdraw much faster that last time. "But the gods still are angry..." came from the other side of the cloth.

Lawainee hmmed. Nude as she was, she went to the mask, pushed it aside and crashed her shoulder, crashed into the handle. Something inside the mechanism cracked so angrily that she was covered by goosebumps instantly. However, the handle turned a bit. She kicked handle again, then again. It was nearly closed; just a bit more. Ignoring the hurt shoulder, she stepped back for a run-up and smashed the handle for the last time. There was soft crack. The ventile closed, now permanently from the way it appeared. Lawainee went sprawling onto the floor; the broken off handle fell down near her. The mood was totally awful.

On the street the screams changed to "Praise the Lawainee!" cheers. The mouse in question slowly got dressed. She didn't even bother to raise the mask into its place when she went out. She stopped in the doorway and looked around with a dark look. Shaman left crowd and stood side to side with her. "For a long time we have needed a queen to lead us! Lawainee is the only one who can calm angered volcano gods." he exclaimed. Well, he wasn't so sure as in that time... before.

Lawainee didn't know what to say or do. Dream, if it was a dream, was repeating again. The most terrible thought was, that maybe it wasn't a dream at all. She had pinched herself several times already, trying to wake up, but without results. Even more, the hurt shoulder was most real pain she had experienced. Her life somehow had ended, turned into an endless loop; a circle. Ahead was an anticipation of being thrown into the pool that evening and experiencing death from hungry crabs.

"I don't want any more..." she whispered. Then into full voice: "NOOOO!!!!" Screaming, she ran off, the shocked villagers looking after her...

* * *

The memories didn't stop her from quickly undressing and changing into yellow top and shorts herself. Exactly the same as Gadget had worn. Now she had to divert the attention of 'rescuers' and then help her 'partner'.

"Gadget? Gadget! We decided to meet her before going to the festival. I hope she won't get distracted on the way," Chip's voice came straight below her. Lawainee with practised movement caught one long leave and graciously slid down. "Thanks, Chip."

"It looks, she came right on time." This was Dale. O gods, how predictable they were. Now Monty...

"You ok, luv?"

Endless attempts and watching hadn't come in vain. Now, unlike that first time, Monty was worrying only about her fall. She was even proud about this. In some sort of sense, she had become a friend with each of them.

"Let's go to the festival, boys," she smiled a warm and innocent smile - exactly as the one that currently was sinking into the pool would do. Too bad she can't stay with them, the task awaited...

After walking about twenty steps, Lawainee suddenly made a stressed-thoughtful face. "Sorry. Monty, I just remembered I forgot my wrench..." she waved with her hand in no particular direction. "Just go ahead, I will catch up with you at luau."

(Note 1)

Faster toward the side of pond. Well, to be honest, one time of five Gadget didn't get out of the sock. Possibly, always there were some micro-divergences that added up to mess up the attempt. Such things tended to happen on the next tests too. Lawainee didn't think much about the theory. She felt, that today it would work fine, for all time. Just make sure Gadget will clear two first tests, and she will make it!

"O! Lawainee, help!" Gadget had colour circles in front of her 'partner' and as always didn't notice the sudden change of her 'sisters' outlook.

"Of course, dear. As soon as you will cross the pond."

"But I will never make it."

"Of course you will. You will think of something. I believe in you." Lawainee carefully, to not to break something by accident, stepped on Gadget's fingers. She will still need them later.

Strange, but this from the first look unnecessary dialogue was a critical piece for Gadget to make through the first test. All it took just a few words out of order, just a bit delay or hurry up, and Gadget, like she herself for endless times before, ended the attempt into the claws of the gigantic crabs.

With short exclamation, Gadget plunged into water and sank below.

* * *

Lawainee didn't remember, what did she do all the day. She thought, she was just aimlessly wandering around the village, not noticing anything around, just staying out of the way of others, but she wasn't sure.

The evening was setting in, it was time for evening eruption. Walking near her hut, Lawainee suddenly hear the unsatisfied growling and burgling. O gods! She had forgotten to open the ventile! No... Even if she wanted to, she no more could to that... Roaring increased. Lawainee gathered her courage and walked in the direction of the sound. In the direction, none of the villagers dared to step. It seemed like the right thing to do - let the volcano gods decide her fate. From somewhere inside her settled hope, that maybe the gods will take pity on her and help her...

Sounds were coming from long, fat and hot snake. The tail stretched toward the volcano, but the head disappeared under some box not far away. As well, it could be other way around. Lawainee thought for a moment, then turned toward the box.

At the box, two humans were working on something inside. To be exact, one was working, other - short and bald - was just standing, stepping from toe to toe and looking at the box and the one who worked on the volcano.

"If my new superluxyry frig... fribr.. Damn! Well, if this damn thing won't work this evening, count yourself fired!"

Roaring and hissing became louder. Lawainee had never before heard the gods becoming so angry. What will happen?

"Wait, boss! I think I got the problem! The main pipeline is clogged. Darn rodents making nests wherever they can." The repairman straightened. He was tall and thin.

Boss hmmed. "Okay, turn it off. But I want you to clean it up first thing in the morning!" and he went away.

The thin man bent over the box and flipped lever. Somewhere into distance there was a long whistle, and all went silent.

Lawainee heard every word. Lawainee saw every movement. Frozen on the spot, as if cursed, she tried to believe what her senses were telling her. All she had believed so far, disappeared like smoke from yesterday's eruption.

There weren't any volcano gods. Never have been... Never...

* * *

Lawainee again caught herself remembering her past. She was sitting around a campfire with the rangers, enjoying the cheap fun and eating marshmallows.

"Dig in, boys, they're boneless," Monty swallowed another piece of warmed marshmallow whole.

"We are full," answered Chip for all.

"But we have so much fun!" chirped Dale.

"It's a good evening, right," Lawainee entered her own words. Now she sure could relax a bit. The dialogues weren't so strictly defined as the ones with Gadget, and the worst mistakes she could do she had already done in the first time, when she started to speak idiotically about "the thing you use to hit sharp things". And, to be honest, she liked being in the company of those two lovesick chipmunks. Did she love Shakea-baka now? It was so long ago... Okay, the rest is fine, but to ensure the continual following to the plan, she had to take the next step of preparations.

"Sorry, guys, I need to step away for a moment, to powder my nose," she told Monty. Chipmunks had so melted in her present that they would have missed even the end of the world. Monty just nodded and swallowed another marshmallow.

"Wow, what a tide!" - to watch the sea, Shakea-baka had turned aside from the procession that was walking to the site of the next test, the barbecue pit, and immediately got rudely caught by his tail. Dumb surfer-boy...

"Wow, Lawainee, you are on a tide today."

"Really?"

"E... okay." Shakea-baka was confused. Exactly what she needed.

"Shakea-baka, boy, I feel so nervous before the next test. I may even start to say and do very strange things, even say that I am not me." Lawainee with perfection from long experience twisted her face into a grimace of shock, confusion and helplessness.

"But if you aren't you..." O lord almighty, what a dumb specimen he was, her past ... lover.

"No. I am me and whatever I would do or say, just make me take the next test!" With the last words, Lawainee got a good grab of her ex-lover's tee-shirt and shook him mightily to ensure that he certainly would understand what he was supposed to do. The outcome was like she expected.

"Got it, honey."

"Good, dear, now I again has to get on my tide. See you soon!" and Lawainee disappeared into bushes. After her came "Don't worry, I'll do it."

Now she again had some time to relax and rest before the going gets tough. Back, faster back, to the smart Chip and funny Dale. Those wonderful chipmunks; just from one wink of her made steam come from their ears. What to say about those time she was kissing them… The scenario had just a single absolutely necessary kiss - to turn Chip's attention away from Gadget landing into a sack with melted marshmallows, but… Lawainee really liked to have some fun. Sometimes, she even dared to venture further than just a kiss. She couldn't say, she didn't get anywhere. Especially with Chip...

Favouring those sweet memories, the mouse quickly walked back to the fireplace. No, she doesn't love Shakea-baka. Possibly had never, ever loved. Just that he was there and she hadn't known anything better...

* * *

Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out of this world. Something from the real world. She opened eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices.

"This... It was shaman... Haba-baba... he must have cursed me..."

She didn't die yesterday. That means, today. The last cycle. After all, she lived through, she had just turned into tight knot under the control box of volcano and felt asleep. It was ever simpler that she had imagined. Several buttons, a pair of indicators, and lights. From the control panel, she could now make the eruptions of any power and at any time she wanted. Only the main ventil of the main pipe had happened to be in the place she had chosen for her hut.

It was still here. It wasn't broken.

Accompanied by a now well-known chorus, appeared and disappeared Shakea-baka with his unchanging phrase. She stood up, picked a piece of cloth and, pushing mask aside, dropped it over the handle. To whom to make a sacrifice, if there were no gods left?

"O, great gods of volcanoes!" Lawainee called her phrase aloud. Without much respect, but still loud enough so that those standing outside would hear her. Even if there are no volcano gods - not these false gods promised to make her a queen.

Carefully, not to break it, she closed the ventil, not forgetting to call out the phrases necessary for the ritual. Then she went outside, greeted by ovations from the crowd. She decided she wouldn't take another swim over the Crab Pool. She will avoid the tests. She will talk with Haba-baba, she will learn all she can about this day, but she will get what she wanted. She will become the queen!

"If you insist, " she said strongly and with some healthy dose of irony the phrase she had said before. Only bad thing was some tiny inner voice whispering, she will have to say this many many times...

* * *

"I could control her, if I could control these," she again repeated her phrase she had cried out so long ago and only a day away... She was running toward the seashore, small bag with angrily zumming Zipper in her paws. Don't misstep, don't fall down and let him escape... Gadget had made two tests already, Rescue Rangers now have to rescue themselves from the incoming eruption that will start shortly... Now had started main, most important part of her plan. The part, for the need of what for whatever time she had repeated all this mess, all these actions and said all these phrases.

Angered, Gadget was standing in her place at the shore.: "For the last time! I'm not Lawainee! And I'm fed up with these dumb tests!" Then Lawainee raised her head over the rocks so that only Gadget would notice her and whistled.

Gadget turned and in few jumps was near her. "Lawainee, how glad I am to see you! Come!" She was already passing to her the surfboard.

Found the fool!

"You're crazy! There are sharks there! Better make this test for me, or your friends will get a warmer Hawaiian welcome that they would like,". Blackmail, plain old proven blackmail, but how effective!

"I don't believe you!" There was fear in Gadget's eyes. Not for herself, but for her friends. Well, well, well, so you do not fear sharks!

"I thought you would say so. Just so, I brought proof" Lawainee shook the bag in front of Gadget's eyes. The fly inside zummed angrily.

"Zipper!"

"I control the flow of gases that are making the eruptions. Just make this test, or I will end their lives." - there was only ice in Lawainee's eyes. Gadget HAD to make this test.

Gadget had no choice than to pick up the board and walk into the ocean.

* * *

Lawainee was right, and at the same time wrong. Time from time she relived the same day, time from time she learned new variations of her possible futures. Next time she could either repeat it all down to the smallest detail, or choose something cardinal different, in the end nothing mattered. Slowly she learned every thing that happened with her on that day, all small convergences and happenings. However, the day was too short and island too big to learn everything. Furthermore, nothing she found out helped her to break this vicious cycle. Every time someone was left unsatisfied with how she lived this day. She didn't know, if it was Huba-buba. Many times, she had tried to speak with him, with no results. Still, she believed, that her suffering won't end until shaman would be satisfied with her passing the tests and will remove his curse.

Attempts to escape the tests gave nothing. She tried to avoid sleep for a few days, and it went ok, allowing her to live a bit longer. Still, as soon as she fell asleep, after twenty four hours from the moment she awakened, as soon as she just for a moment closed her eyes and felt into dreams, it all resetted to the beginning. Going without sleep at all was impossible.

There were times, when she angered again and again tried to break her way directly, but it gave nothing else but new portions of pain and suffering. Sometimes she didn't die on the spot. For the first times she even felt some gratitude toward the unseen 'godfather' reviving her every time, but then anger overcame her. She was angry at the shaman, at the village, at the humans installing the volcano controller, on the whole world, on herself the most. More and more, she wanted just to die once, even by the most horrible death, and to not wake up anymore. No such luck. Whether she committed suicide or died by accident, the end was same.

But fate offered her one solution. She met Gadget.

* * *

Well, this was all. She now could forget about the Rescue Rangers and Gadget. The rest had to go on its own. There were two keys to the crown, and both already were placed into keyholes. The kid, not suspecting anything, who had already sat down in front of her. And the other. The big rock, she for an over a hundred cycles had put in the place at the morning time with the help of Shakea-baka, carefully measuring the place of fall. The rock that now hung over her, balancing on a good wish and a light bamboo piece ready to crash by slightest change in pressure.

Lawainee carefully removed last supporting beam and froze into the wait. Just a second later the ocean would swallow the kid. Gadget surely will pick it up, and then on the top of the wave, hair blowing into wind, like a fury, would descend upon her. Forgot about the rush and the codephrases, forget about the fear of failure. It all was going like planned.

Still, when the wave rose over her, Lawainee eyes widened into fear, and her mouth went into grimace of shock.

Water rushed away. Lawainee looked around, picked up miraculously survived sand clock. "It... I made it!" she stood up from the wet sand, smiled toward the shocked kid and took him by hand. Haba-baba and Shakea-baka were already rushing toward her, followed but the rest of the villagers into a colourful mob.

"O Lawainee, we will make you a queen!" Shakea-baka, as always, was ahead of them all.

"And you will be my first minister," she smiled back at him. Well, not all she had said she would make into reality.

"Lawainee, you survived the tests, you command the volcano gods. You have earned the rights to be our queen!" never before was the shaman so ceremonial and polite with her. "And now, in honour of our beautiful queen, let's start the festival!"

The whirlwind of her tribesmen carried her away, raised over their heads and Lawainee the First ceremonially entered her village, praised endlessly by all present mice. For all evening she did sit on the throne, laughing, drinking, and whispering dumb things to Shakea-baka. Then whole village watched the evening eruption, calm and beautiful. Volcano gods were happy, just like thanking her for the wonderful sacrifice made.

But still, in spite of all this fun and laughing, in spite of the luck, into her mind again and again stood that other one, the one that was left on the shore under the fallen rock. Nobody noticed the switch, she calmed herself, but the other one... she will be forgotten... Soon she will be forgotten, will disappear from memory like this endless day. With these memories, she fell asleep.

Into pleasant dreams broke something alien, something out of this world. Something from the real world. She didn't want to open eyes. Behind the wall she could heard a chorus of voices chant a cry: "La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee! La - wai - nee!"

"Queen Lawainee. What a beautiful sound..."

The light cloth over entrance was pulled aside a bit, and into it appeared Shakea-Baka's blonde head: "Lawainee! The volcano gods are angry again..."

© Roman Bulygin

04.05.2000  
  
  



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